I DO (NOT)

I DO (NOT)

BOOK 3 – At The Rodeo

Howdy! It’s me, Ally Bradshaw. *sigh*

In true Southern style, my story picks up when I head back to my childhood home in Water Hills, Constantia to spend a supposed rehabilitating, re-orienting, re-educating and what I suspect a kind of exorcism three weeks with my parents. *sigh* I am so excited … whoop freaking whoop. Just kidding! This is basically the worst thing in my life at the moment and could not have come at a worse time.

To say the least, my dad, Jason is a rather tense and edgy man in his early sixties. Ever since my brother Max passed away at the age of nineteen, my father has been nothing short of over-protective and controlling. He serves as a Deacon in our Church in the town I grew up in and can be just a tad bit overpowering. My mom, Sylvia staunchly supports him and would never contradict my dad’s will or authority. Not that she doesn’t have one of her own. She loves him and the life they have in Water Hills. She just loves that she is a perfect Southern lady and that her family is just peachy. That leaves me, Ally. The good girl turned bad. Bad’ish. In their eyes, and thanks to Michael. Jerk.

But, on a more positive note, what perfect timing to go home to my parents? Water Hills kicks off with their week-long Annual Fall Festival on the very day I get there. That means eight-second men, rodeo events, cowboys, fairs, rides *oh boy* and late-night country music festivities. Yay! But, it also means Church and it means dealing with my parents and the aftermath of my not-so-proper encounter with Michael.

I haven’t heard a single word from him or Lily since that fateful morning. He hasn’t shown up at the museum or at my apartment, so I am holding my breath and hoping that my plan wasn’t so flawed after all. Except for the fact that I must now sit through three weeks of torture with my parents, I think I did pretty good. Michael knows my parents and he knows the trouble I’m in with them. Blah. Blah.

As I sit here writing this, I must be honest, I am still fixated on Daniel. I like the idea of having him around; I just don’t like the fact that he could quite possibly be dating by the time I get back. I know. I’m such a hypocrite. But still. I like Daniel, I enjoy his company and so does the rest of me. What can I say?

My encounters with William were amazing. Different. My ventures and excursions with him were wonderfully eye-opening and I am more in touch with what tickles me, what I like, and what I don’t like which is pretty much nothing. More than ever before, I am realizing that I am actually still, a plain country girl who does not want romance, and I still come from dirt roads and boots. Not that there was anything I disliked about William, but Daniel is more my thing. If you can call it that? Okay, I am probably more in tune with my body’s little sensor switches if you must.

Bianca will be keeping an eye on my place while I’m in the country. I am going to do my best to get through the coming three weeks when it comes to behaving myself, or at least, appear to be the same good daughter I was, and convince my parents that I am still Ally. Their little girl. Their pride and joy. Their obedient, loving, caring and classy little good girl, who just starting saying fuck a lot. I’m not holding my breath though. My mother can see right through me. She always does.

‘Yeah right, Ally. All you have on your mind are the eight-second rodeo riders and those damn sizzling cowboys!’

So, here I am driving into Water Hills. This is where my three-week adventure, or catastrophe kicks off, and this is how it plays out.

Call me whatever you like, just don’t call me drab, boring or ugly.

Ally.

Next page/ BOOK 4 – Above The Law